Bamboo Valley Inaugerated At Chandigarh, India

By M.M. Khanna, Travel Journalist C/O Services India, Chandigarh
Urging the people to pursue the development agenda through a New Year Resolution of public private partnership and joint venture in every field of endeavour, the Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh, Gen. (Retd.) S.F `Rodrigues, PVSM VSM today inaugurated two major projects; Chandigarh Botanical Garden at Village Sarangpur and a Bamboo Valley in Sector 23 with great pump and show. The residents of Sarangpur Village and Sector 23 were all smiles and expressed gratitude to the Administrator and the team of officers, for completing the projects in record time.

In his brief address and interaction with the residents at both the places, General Rodrigues told them to actively participate to manage and maintain these recreational and educative features as these will provide an opportunity to go back to nature and to preserve our environmental heritage. He told the officers and the residents to institute a collaborative monitoring & maintenance mechanism by creating a Society for the Botanical Garden and also a core group,comprising officers and representatives of the public, for Sector 23,Bamboo Valley. We have the ability to create the infrastructure and we also must mould our attitudes to maintain it with the same vigour, he added.

Accompanied by Mrs. Rodrigues, Home Secretary, Mr. Krishna
Mohan, Finance Secretary, Mr.S.K. Sandhu and other senior officers,the Administrator went round the different infrastructure components created in the Botanical Garden in an area of 176 acres of land with the objectives of research education, promotion of eco-tourism and awareness of our floral heritage. The Garden has 15 Botanical Sections with 150 specious of medicinal plants, shrubs and herbs besides different species of trees of regions, ficus trees, palms, conifers and ornamental flowers. The Garden has various other supporting infrastructure including office-cum-nature interpretation center,equipped with library and other informative material, a lake developed on 8 acres of land, 5 more water bodies, meditation huts-cum-rain shelters, a nursery-cum-research block,cafeteria and other public utility services.

General Rodrigues asked the Finance Secretary to put in place a planned strategy to interlink the infrastructural support services for the various projects coming up in the area and also to effectively coordinate the endeavour for completing the remaining components in the Botanical Garden in a time bound manner, to make it more attractive and of educative value for people of different walks of life and age groups. He told them to create a support structure to attract migratory birds for the promotion of wildlife with a deer park, aquarium and fish culture etc. to add beauty and utility of this park. On the demand of the residents, he asked the officers to rename it as
Sarangpur Botanical Park.

Later, after inaugurating the Bamboo Valley and the fountain with a water body, General Rodrigues appreciated the work of this park in a record time of four months by the Engineering Department of Chandgiarh Administration. The Residents Welfare Association and the Municipal Councillors complemented the Administrator for creating this facility on this piece of land which was a neglected spot. They honoured theAdministrator and assured that they will extend all cooperation and help in maintaining the grandeur of this spot. This park, set up on a 27.5 acres of land, has 15 species of trees, besides bamboo groves along the choe. This valley also has a variety of other rare trees which include Marror fali, Amla, Akash Neem, Silver oak,Inter lobium, Amaltas, Chakrassia, Acacia aurculiformis, Behera,Kathal, Mango, Pipa, Kankchampa, Mohagani and Dek. It has other bamboo structures including a Restaurant, rain shelters, food kiosks,milk bar. This spot has also some other highlights including five foot
bridges, three kilometer long walk ways, sand pit, labyrinth, slopping walls from the children, rest rooms and two tubewells for irrigation.

The whole area has been landscaped by grass, bamboo plantation an elegantly designed 30 concrete benches.Other senior officers who were present on the occasion included,Mr. Ishwar Singh, Deputy Chief Conservator of Forest, Sh. V.K.Bhardwaj, Chief Engineer, Mr. R.K. Rao, Deputy Commissioner, ChiefArchitect, UT,Chandigarh.

January 2, 2007   Posted in: India